AAM broadcast value

[dapper]

Customer has a small site with one DX1, three GX1s and an FS1. It seems that yesterday the FS1 gave up the ghost. There are two lines of black squares across the display now.
I tried resetting by cycling power and pushing the reset button while power was on, on the motherboard. Nothing changes.
It may be coincidental but at the same time it seems that the DX1 is no longer broadcasting the outdoor air temperature value to the GX1s. Using SoloPro I can connect to the network
at a GX1 and see the other three devices so I know the network is good. I disconnected the FS1 from the network so that could not create a problem. I was able to broadcast the
current time to all devices from my laptop. All of the settings for broadcast look correct in the DX1. All of the GX1s are set to receive broadcast, BUT all values remain at 0.0. The value
is correct at the DX1 input. The broadcast time is set at one minute. I tried to set all of the devices to zone 1 and set the value to broadcast to 'zone'. That didn't work either.

Is there some way to 'sniff' the PUP network to see if the DX1 is actually broadcasting the value?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'll also entertain any suggestions to replace the FS1. I don't think they will go for the cost of a Jace 2 with PUP driver to interface to the system.
Any other ideas?

[osiyo]

Customer has a small site with one DX1, three GX1s and an FS1. It seems that yesterday the FS1 gave up the ghost. There are two lines of black squares across the display now.
I tried resetting by cycling power and pushing the reset button while power was on, on the motherboard. Nothing changes.
It may be coincidental but at the same time it seems that the DX1 is no longer broadcasting the outdoor air temperature value to the GX1s. Using SoloPro I can connect to the network
at a GX1 and see the other three devices so I know the network is good. I disconnected the FS1 from the network so that could not create a problem. I was able to broadcast the
current time to all devices from my laptop. All of the settings for broadcast look correct in the DX1. All of the GX1s are set to receive broadcast, BUT all values remain at 0.0. The value
is correct at the DX1 input. The broadcast time is set at one minute. I tried to set all of the devices to zone 1 and set the value to broadcast to 'zone'. That didn't work either.

Is there some way to 'sniff' the PUP network to see if the DX1 is actually broadcasting the value?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'll also entertain any suggestions to replace the FS1. I don't think they will go for the cost of a Jace 2 with PUP driver to interface to the system.
Any other ideas?

Well, I don't know how your system was set up in the first place.

But let's try some guesses which you should be able to verify.

Chances are that the DX was set up as an Irresponsible Peer? Correct or not?

If you can get on the network and look at points with SoloPro without getting interference, various value lines on the display not updating and an X appearing at the beginning of the line ... that means 1 of 2 things. Either there is no Full Administrator on the network, or the Full Administrator has your SoloPro, with it's configured PUP network address, on it's PEER list. You can find SoloPro's network address on the configuration screen for SoloPro.

NO device on the network can talk, that includes Broadcasting, until and unless it has the token.

The device configured as a FULL ADMINISTRATOR ... and there must be ONLY ONE so configured for PUP networks ... rules token possession and passing. That was probably your failed device.

If the DX is configured as an IRRESPONSIBLE PEER, it can only do its broadcast duties when it is passed the token from the Full Administrator. Once it has the token it does whatever network activity it needs to do, then passes the token back to the Full Administrator.

Got it?

So, if the DX is not set up to be the Full Administrator, it CAN'T do a broadcast unless a Full Administrator passes it the token.

Now, before you try to set the DX as Full Administrator, you'll first want to determine SoloPro's default network address, factory default is 10, and enter that network address into the DX's Peer List.

That's so that once you make the DX Full Administrator, it'll periodically pass the token to SoloPro to allow SoloPro to talk on the network.

Then set the DX FF00;ER to allow it to recover the token, then set it to Full Administrator.

At this point SoloPro may loose communication. Go to configuration screen and uncheck the box telling it to start up as a Full Administrator. When not a full administrator, it functions as a peer. You might have to shut it down and restart.

Once SoloPro is up and in the Peer mode, it should be able to talk on the network since periodically the DX will pass it the token.

Then you can check to see if the DX is now broadcasting the OAT.

You might also want to enable time synching on the DX, to it'll do that, it'll broadcast a time synch time to time to keep everyone on the same time.

What version of SoloPro do you have?

If it past .... Ohhhh 2.3 or somewhere around there, you could see and program an AAM SD (Small Display) and put it in the system. To replace your failed device.

[dapper]

Thanks Bob, a lot of good information there. As I remember, the DX is set up as Irr Peer so that must be the problem.
I'll set time synching as well, it's is not now, because I found the time 2 hours ahead on all devices yesterday.
I think the SoloPro version probably starts with 1 but I'm not sure. I can check. I should be able to follow your instructions
and change the DX to Full Administrator.
Thanks for the advice.

[osiyo]

Thanks Bob, a lot of good information there. As I remember, the DX is set up as Irr Peer so that must be the problem.
I'll set time synching as well, it's is not now, because I found the time 2 hours ahead on all devices yesterday.
I think the SoloPro version probably starts with 1 but I'm not sure. I can check. I should be able to follow your instructions
and change the DX to Full Administrator.

I hope it works out for you.

In your original post you mentioned that the "FS-1" failed. I think you meant SF-1.

I don't know if those are still available. Might be hard for AutoMatrix to get the electronic components to build them. Or to repair them for that matter. It's early to mid-90's technology. And you'd need to be able to run some DOS utilities to program and set one up.

AAM does still make several of their older controllers. MC1, GX1, DX1, IX, etc. Heck I was just out at a site where they're running a system installed back in 1995. Everybody is still talking and working. But originally customer had us do really simple and basic controls and kept original pneumatic damper actuators and valves. Now they've decided to upgrade. New valves and damper actuators (electronic), more complex (and better) control schemes, and convert to DDC control a bunch of misc stuff; exh fans, CUH, convectors, FTR, etc, etc. So we'll just re-purpose the older controllers, and replace AHU and heating plant controls with newer controllers. Front end is currently Etherview (old DOS based software on a PC), that'll be replaced with a Jace.

The SBC-SD (Small Display) is a viable alternative for your SF-1.
http://www.aamatrix.com/solutions/sbc-sd/

I've used those on numerous projects where the customer just wanted a simple interface.

However, besides the price of the SBC-SD itself, you'd have to purchase a new version of SoloPro. And that total package gets pricey.

You could ask around here, and/or check Ebay to see if anyone has an old but still working SF-1.

[osiyo]

By the way, if you do ever need the ability to sniff a PUP network let me know. I wrote a small computer program to do that and then decode the results into plain english.